Between the Floors
by babygeek310
Summary: All relationships start somewhere. This one starts in an elevator. This is a real person fic, Jackson Rathbone/OC. Rating may change as story progresses.
1. Chapter 1

**Story Title:**_ Between the Floors_

**Rating: **_M_

**Genre: **_Other, a Real Person fic_

**Story Summary:**_ All relationships start somewhere, this one starts in an elevator. Jackson Rathbone meets shy fan Emily when they get trapped in an elevator and her arm gets fractured. _

**Disclaimer: **_If you recognise it, it isn't mine. I do not know Jackson Rathbone and this story is completely fictional. If it causes any offence it will be removed upon request. _

**Authors Note: **_Thank you to Project Team Beta for all their hard work in getting this chapter up to par._

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Chapter One_  
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The thunderstorm that covered the city was growing louder and louder making the music from my iPod seem quieter and quieter. As I'd been walking I'd had to progressively turn it up so that now, when I had finally reached the hotel, it was playing on maximum volume. Noise control wasn't my only complaint for the moment; I'd had to walk back to the hotel in the storm and by the time I'd got to the elevator in the hotel lobby I was soaking wet.

Damn rain. Why did it only ever rain when I didn't have an umbrella or some form of waterproof jacket? As I stepped inside the elevator I noticed another figure, a man, stood over by the controls. I pushed down my hood to find that a few strands of hair that had been left unprotected plastered themselves to the side of my face. Oh yes, very attractive.

"Which floor?" The stranger asked politely, his finger hovering over the buttons. There was a southern twang to the stranger's voice. I could barely hear him over the sound of 'The Drums' who were blaring from my headphones so I quickly turned the device off before answering.

"Fourteenth please," I answered. I paused for a moment before looking up at him, knowing that there would only be an awkward silence as I am terrible at conversing with strangers. As I glanced up I recognized the man immediately. It was Jackson Rathbone; one of the actors from the cast of the Twilight movies. Naturally, I turned into a nervous wreck and became completely unable to do anything but stare at my shoes. Part of me wanted to ask for an autograph while a more dominant part of me decided to focus on not embarrassing myself. God knows the poor guy's got enough girls screaming in his face, he didn't need me doing it in an elevator.

We ascended in a comfortable silence for about thirty seconds until the elevator suddenly slammed violently to a halt, sending me flying into Jackson. Although he managed to grab onto me, he couldn't keep us both upright meaning that we both toppled to the floor with Jackson landing on top of me. My wrist made a painful crunching noise as we landed on the limb with it twisted behind my back. White hot pain flashed up my arm, bringing tears to my eyes.

"Sorry," Jackson mumbled getting off me and walking up to the emergency controls. He hadn't realized how much pain I was in as he hadn't made eye contact, the awkwardness of being on top of me prompting him to keep his gaze downcast. "Hello? Urm...we're stuck in this elevator."

"The technician has been called, please wait for assistance," said an automated machine. Great, very helpful. I pulled myself into a sitting position and leant up against the wall opposite the doors, cradling my arm against my chest, hoping to sooth some of the immense pain. The main light had gone off as the elevator stopped, leaving the tiny room lit only by the gleam of the buttons on the panel and the emergency lighting which gave the room an eerie orange glow. The numbers above the elevator doors showed that we were trapped in between floors.

"Are you all right?" Jackson asked, sitting down next to me. I nodded even though the tears were threatening to spill over and flood the elevator. I would not cry. "I'm Jackson."

"I'm Emily and I'm fine, thank you," I lied through my teeth, my voice choked with tears. I glanced up at Jackson who was looking at me, concerned. I looked back down and sniffed unappealingly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Are you sure you're okay?" Jackson eyed the arm that I was rather obviously cradling. Feeling somehow ashamed of my injury, I blushed and tried to tuck my bad arm inside my thin jacket, despite the fact that there were no outward signs of injury.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." I chewed my lip, wanting a distraction. "How long do you reckon we'll be stuck in here?"

"No idea, my money's on an hour though." He flashed me a smile that made his eyes light up.

"Ten says an hour and a half."

"Deal." I offered him my good hand and we shook on our 'bet'.

"So where were you off to before getting stuck?" I questioned, knowing that there was little else to do other than talk. I wasn't sure Jackson would want to get to know me but I certainly wouldn't mind getting to know him a little better.

"Just back to my room, I've got a show tonight with my band. What about you?" Jackson turned his body to face me and looked directly into my eyes, giving me his full attention.

"Honestly?" I asked. Jackson nodded. "I was going up to my room to get changed to go see your show."

I blushed at my admittance. Now completely unable to maintain eye contact I inspected my shoes for scuff marks. Actually I really did need to go shoe shopping sometime soon, they looked a disgrace.

"Ah, so I'm stuck in an elevator with a crazed fan?" Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jackson smirk at me, causing me to blush further.

"I'm afraid so. This is probably my fault you know, I've got terrible luck, I'm always getting stuck in elevators." Although it was true about my bad luck, I was mostly bringing it up to move the conversation away from the topic of me being one of his fans.

"These things happen." He shrugged easily.

"I know I just wish they'd stop happening to me." I shifted slightly, pulling my hurt arm further towards me, holding it up with my other arm. I winced slightly as pains shot through me but covered it up as quickly as I was able.

"We should probably try to sling that up or something until we get out." Jackson didn't miss a trick. Maybe it had something to do with being an actor and knew acting when it happened, or maybe he was just observant to body language in general.

"I don't really have anything to use. I guess I could use my jacket but I'd have to somehow get it off first…" I trailed off into a mumble, thinking about the heat. It really was oddly cold; I was stuck in a tiny box with another person and only a small vent in the ceiling, surely it should be hot.

"Here." I looked back over to Jackson who had taken off his brown leather jacket and was holding it out to me. I took it in one hand before looking blankly at him. I'd previously used a shirt to sling up my own arm when playing hospital as a kid but that had been held together with tape and wasn't exactly very good at supporting weight.

"Er...can you help me?" I asked timidly. Jackson nodded and shuffled on his knees towards me, obviously unsure of how he was supposed to help. I gave him instructions which he followed whilst trying to be as gentle as possible. When I was sufficiently tied up he sat back, admiring his work. "Thank you."

"How bad is the pain?" Jackson looked genuinely upset at the thought of my being in pain.

I gave a one shouldered shrug before my verbal reply. "It's not bad, don't worry about it."

"And how much are you downplaying the pain?" Although his tone wasn't serious I knew that Jackson was expecting a truthful answer.

"Quite a lot." Once again I found myself looking at my shoes. I had now shown myself to be a lying fan-girl with a low pain threshold. Some first impression I made. I took a deep breath before adjusting my 'sling'. The pain was unbearable however some small part of my mind managed to register the fact that Jackson's jacket smelt good. Insanely good.

"I wish there was something I coul…."

"Stop." I cut him off. "There's nothing you can do, you've given me your jacket even though you were wearing it, that's enough. Don't worry."

Jackson nodded unhappily before striking up another conversation. "So, you sound British, am I right?"

"Yeah, I'm English. From a county called Cheshire but I've moved to Liverpool recently for university." I paused, trying to think of what to say to keep the conversation alive. My life was pretty mundane and I didn't want to bore the poor man.

"Yeah? What's your major?" Jackson enquired with a smile, his body turned towards mine.

"Er we don't really major. Well I suppose we major in either one or two chosen subjects but we don't have any general education. I do a combined degree in Business Marketing and Psychology." I knew that our education system was different to the American one that Jackson would be familiar with, but unfortunately I didn't know enough about theirs to draw a comparison for him.

"So you want to analyse my brain to figure out the best way to sell me something?" Jackson teased.

"Something like that," I replied, unable to keep myself from smiling back at the attractive man beside me.

"So aside from my band, what type of music are you into?" He grinned cheekily. Relaxing, I began to realize that Jackson really did want to talk to me. I began to try and conjure up interesting, and non fangirly questions to ask him back.

"Well 'Best Friend' by The Drums was playing when I came in but that's just my song of the day. I'll literally listen to anything. Marilyn Manson, Justin Bieber, Beethoven, you name it and I'll love it." I replied honestly.

"Justin Bieber! Oh that's just wrong."

"Wrong, yes. Catchy, also yes. Go on then, what's the single most cringe worthy song you have?"

Jackson looked at me, a sheepish smile on his face, and just as he opened his mouth to reply I made the mistake of shifting my position ever so slightly. The pain made me whimper, a scarcely audible sound, however it was enough of a noise to derail Jackson's thoughts and stop him from talking. For the third or maybe forth time since entering the elevator tears filled my eyes, only now I was unable to hold them back. I'd never been good with pain but this was a joke. How much could one potential fracture hurt?

In an attempt to hide the tears, which were now slipping down my cheeks, I bowed my head and turned myself away from Jackson.

"Oh hey, hey come on darlin' there's no need to hide from me." He curled one arm across my hunched shoulders as his other hand moved to my face. He softly nudged my chin, tilting my head up to encourage eye contact with him. "Please don't cry."

"Sorry." I blubbered "I'm not very good with pain."

Jackson tightened his grip around my shoulder briefly, giving me a quick squeeze before using his free hand to dry my tears. "No need to be sorry. We'll be out of here soon enough and then I can get you to a hospital."

Of their own accord, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You don't have to take me. Plus you've got a show to put on! No one will know or care if I'm not there but they'll certainly notice your absence!"

"Well, true but I don't feel right just leaving you wandering around injured."

"I'm in a city, not a jungle. I won't die if you leave me; I'll just Google the nearest hospital and walk there." I was nowhere near as confident as I sounded. Injured in a totally new city, with little money and no one to turn to if my situation got worse was not going to be fun but I refused to burden Jackson with my presence any longer.

"Walk?" He asked, confused. "Why don't you take a cab, it'll be quicker!"

"And more expensive! You try living off a student loan. I'm down to the point where I have to choose between a taxi ride and my dinner and I'm hungry now, let alone after three hours sat in the hospital."

"I'll pay." His simple statement shocked me. I looked up at him, staring at his face trying to figure out his ulterior motive. I understood wanting to be a gentleman, offering to walk a girl you wanted home at night to look good and play the knight in shining armour. But I wasn't someone he had a thing for, I was a total stranger. He had no reason to spend money on me. I could only hope that everyone I met would be this kind to a complete stranger like me.

"You don't have to do that."

"I know." Our eyes locked, each trying to stare the other one into submission. No winner was found however as the normal lights flickered back on, the elevator shuddered down half a floor and the doors were slowly prised open.

Jackson stood up, reaching back down to offer his hand to assist me. I grasped his hand tightly, allowing him to pull me up. My hand felt ridiculously small in his. In fact, now that we were stood side by side, all of me felt small, although that wasn't unusual. At five foot one and a half (yes, the half inch is important) I could just about reach the top shelf in my parents' kitchen.

On the other side of the door was a rather worried looking mechanic of some form and another man I recognized but couldn't name.

"Hey Marty, I'll be up in five." Jackson said smoothly as he walked out of the elevator, tugging me along with him. Marty nodded and wandered off down the hallway in the general direction of the stairs.

"Erm...here's your jacket," I mumbled, nerves having suddenly returned to me. I reached up to untie my jacket made sling but was stopped.

"No you keep it, it's probably best that you don't move you arm around a whole lot." Jackson rummaged around in his pocket and pulled out a few bank notes. "Here, for a cab."

"No I couldn't possibly…" I began. Jackson pressed the notes into the palm of my hand and I automatically curled my fingers around them to stop them from falling.

"Please darlin'." His eyes pleaded with me and I found myself unable to utter a single sound. I nodded dumbly instead. "Sorry I can't come with you. Goodbye Emily, it was nice meeting you."

And with that he followed Marty down the hallway. I didn't take much notice of his comment, assuming that he would claim that he thought it nice to meet many people. He was famous after all, and in an odd sense it was part of his job to be kind to strangers.

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_If you like it, let me know! All constructive feedback is greatly appriciated._


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to all those who read, add to alerts and especially to those who review. Thanks to Project Team Beta for all their hardwork and support. As a disclaimer, I own nothing you know and the rest comes from my head and may not be an accurate representation of real life.**

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After an incredibly long trip to the hospital, which carried on well into the night, I was finally free to go back to my hotel. Stepping out into the cool air, I slid Jackson's heavy jacket over my shoulders and held it shut with my good hand. I would have been warmer if I had been able to wear it properly but, of course, my cast prevented me from doing so. The cast began at my hand with my thumb poking out from a hole in the side, and continued up to my shoulder. For my 'comfort', my arm had been set bent in front of me and was held in place by a lower arm sling.

I walked away from the hospital and onto the main road where I quickly flagged down a taxi, gave the driver the name of my hotel and settled into my seat. I had missed one call, from my mum. I felt groggy from the anaesthetic I'd been given so decided to call her back later. Although my mother would understand how tired I was and keep it short, I knew that I would have to call back the next day and go into every little detail with not only her but also my grandmother, aunts and great aunts too. A broken arm wouldn't be worth the fuss it'd generate. Family members would start calling me at all hours of the night to see if I needed anything, despite them being too far away to help. Everyone would worry greatly so with this in mind, I decided to keep it quiet.

We pulled up outside my hotel and I used the rest of the money Jackson had provided to pay the taxi driver. If I ever saw Jackson again I'd have to find some way to repay his kindness _and_ return his jacket. I half stumbled, half walked to my room, choosing to take the stairs this time instead of the dreaded elevator. The second I reached my bed I collapsed on top of it, falling into a deep slumber before I could even get undressed.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Some time later, I woke with a start and looked around my now sun lit hotel room. Aside from my small suitcase in the corner and the unmade bed I was now lay on top of, the room was pretty much the same as it was when I'd arrived three days ago. Feeling disgusting from sleeping in my clothes, I stripped off in slow motion, the cast providing a constant source of struggle. With the help of a plastic bag, I took a long shower before once again getting dressed. As I was lacking a hand, anything with buttons proved to be too difficult for me to cope with so I ended up dressed in a baggy pair of grey joggers and a black wife beater. I was thankful that I was still in possession of Jackson's jacket as all of mine appeared to be fitted and impossible to put on over the bulk of my cast. I inhaled deeply as I put on the jacket. It still smelled of Jackson.

I threw the rest of my belongings into my suitcase, zipped it up and dragged it out into the hallway. Although I was staying in the city until at least Christmas, this had been my last night in the hotel that my parents had paid for. I was supposed to have found an apartment, or at least a room to rent, but my luck had been pretty poor as of late so I was instead off to the nearest youth hostel.

I slowly pulled my bag towards the elevator I noticed a male figure leave a room a few doors down from mine. Still struggling to lug my case around, I didn't pay him much attention until he spoke directly to me.

"So you fractured it after all, huh?" The low, familiar voice belonged to Jackson. I looked up and gave him a smile. I was nervous but happy to see him. He was dressed in plain black jeans, boots and a dark t-shirt with a logo or something in the middle; I couldn't quite make out what it was. Just as he had yesterday, Jackson looked divine.

"Yes I did. Thank you so much for the taxi money. Oh and here's your jacket back!" I slowly shrugged it off my shoulders and held it out to him. His hands twitched in reflex but he made no other move to grasp the article.

"Have you got another jacket? It's pretty cold out there. The storms mostly passed but its still wet and windy." Jackson's concern was adorable but uncalled for. I was practically a stranger, he had no need to worry about me.

"Not one that I can get over this thing," I gestured vaguely at my cast. "Don't worry about it, the youth hostels only a five minute walk from here, I'll be fine."

"Emily, I'm not going to make you walk in the freezing cold after I broke your arm!" He sounded horrified and possibly slightly offended that I thought he would let me, which seemed strange, however I was distracted momentarily by the sound of my name on his lips. I sucked in a breath, regrouped my brain cells, and replied.

"You didn't break my arm Jackson, the elevator did." A small thrill shot through me as I said his name. I mentally slapped myself. Who got excited about saying a persons name? "Plus if I did take your jacket I wouldn't be able to give it back to you."

Jackson huffed. "How about I walk you to the hostel, then you give me back my jacket?"

I considered the compromise for a second before agreeing. It would be nice to have the company, plus the knowledge that someone else was there in case I got lost was an added reassurance. Sure I could just look on Google Maps or stop and ask someone, but I'd never been able to adequately deal with the instant panic that swelled up from realizing I was lost.

We set off for the elevator but only managed a few steps before my suitcase tried to escape. It flopped onto its side and landed with a thud. I grumbled under my breath, reaching over to pick it up again.

"Allow me." Jackson stood next to me and bent down. He rested one hand lightly on my back, grabbed my luggage with the other and righted both himself and the case. His hand slid around me so that it was wrapped fully around my waist, his finger tips resting on my hip. I tried my very best not to swoon although I was sure that Jackson had not meant it to be a seductive move, he was just trying to be kind.

Once in the elevator Jackson set the case down but refused to let go of me, instead choosing to pull me closer, tucking me into his side. I wrapped by good arm around his back and rested my head on his shoulder. I had no idea why he was cuddling me but I guessed that he was feeling sorry for me.

"So how was the show last night?" I questioned. I was upset that I'd missed it, having looked forward to it for weeks. Though I suppose if I had made it, I wouldn't have been able to get this close to Jackson.

"It was amazing!" He gushed, his eyes lighting up as he remembered his evening. "The crowd was phenomenal, they were loving it as much as we were."

It was clear that he loved to perform and I felt a small pang of sorrow that I had been so unfortunate as to miss seeing him so happy.

"We're doing another show tomorrow night across town, since you missed this one you should come to the next! I promise to get you the best seats in the house. Well, there aren't really any seats in there but if there were, I'd get you them!"

I laughed quietly at how excited Jackson was. "I'd love to."

The elevator doors opened with a happy ding and I exited, with Jackson hot on my heels. He easily carried my case out of the hotel and set it down on the street. "So, where to Darlin'?

"Well..." I pulled out my iPhone, a much loved birthday present from my Dad, and found the directions. "We go to the end and then turn left, left, second right."

As I looked at the map on the screen, Jackson moved to stand behind me, reading over my shoulder, his breath tickling my neck. I squirmed, jerking my head away from his mouth, making him chuckle. He put his left hand on my waist, his right arm coming around me to touch the screen so that I was essentially in his arms. In what I felt was a daring move, I leant back, so that my back was resting on his chest with a slight amount of my weight on him. Jackson stopped pretending to use my iPhone and wrapped his arms fully around my middle.

After standing curled up together for a few minutes, Jackson spoke softly "As lovely as this is, Sweets, we need to get going in case the paparazzi show up."

Unsure of whether he was actually worried about the paparazzi or whether he was disapproving of my physical affections, I moved away from him as fast as possible. Blushing, I looked down and mumbled, "Of course, sorry."

"Hey now!" Jackson moved to stand in front of me and cupped my face in his hands. "I really am just worried about getting spotted, that's all. Come on, lets get going. I don't know about you but I'm freezing."

"Do you want your jacket back?" I asked, hoping he'd decline as it was currently the warmest thing in my possession. Luck was on my side and Jackson shook his head with a slight laugh.

"No Sweets, I'm ok without thank you." Jackson held out his hand and wiggled his fingers, a sure sign that it was okay for me to slip my hand into his. Gingerly, I did so. A smile crept over my face. I was holding hands with Jackson Rathbone!

We didn't really talk much as we walked; choosing insead to make the odd comment about places that looked interesting as we passed them. All too soon we were outside the place that was to become my home for the foreseeable future. It looked awful.

"Are you sure you got the right address?" Jackson asked, a worried frown settled across his features. Sadly I was one-hundred percent certain that this was the place and I hated that fact. The building was four or five stories high and painted a rusty red colour, although there were large patches where the grey brick could clearly be seen as the paint had been chipped off. The wooden window frames were slowly rotting away and the windows themselves were covered with thick, brown dirt.

"Yeah, this is it. Home sweet home." I found myself blushing, mortified that this was the only place I could find to stay.

"What? How long are you staying here?" Jackson looked at me, aghast.

"It depends. Its looking like this is my home for the time being. Come August I'll have a place to stay on campus, in halls or whatever." I paused, looking once again at the building. Jackson opened and closed his mouth, looking for something to say but no words came out. "Come on, lets get me settled in so you can get back to your life."

He nodded mutely and followed me through the wonky door and into the dimly lit room. A spotty boy of around fifteen gave me a room key, a locker key and pointed me in the right direction. The room was mostly bare, two sets of bunk beds and four high school style lockers were the only furnishings. Two of the beds had clothes strewn across them, so it was obvious that they were taken but the other bunk beds seemed free. Jackson must have noticed this too as he put my case down next to one of the free beds.

"Thank you for walking me here. And for carrying my stuff." My head down, I looked up at him through my lashes to see him smiling softly at me.

"Any time Darlin'." He used his finger and thumb to tilt my chin upward, my eyes meeting his. "You need anything you call me, right?"

Hypnotized, it took me a moment to form an answer. "I don't have your number."

"Oh right." He shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out his cell. "What's yours?"

I obediently recited my number, watching as he punched it in. A moment later he called my number, meaning that I, in turn, had his. Having saved him as a new contact, I looked back up to Jackson's eyes. He seemed nervous, perhaps worried about giving a self proclaimed fan his digits.

"So..." He paused to clear his throat. "How about we finish that cuddle from the street?"

My mouth fell open in shock and I gawked openly at him. Mistaking my reaction as a negative one, Jackson began to blush, backtracking on himself. "I didn't mean to sound creepy, I just...Well you seemed disappointed that we stopped so I..uh..."

I decided to put him out of his misery. I took a half step towards him and tightly wrapped my good arm around his back, breathing in his signature scent. My broken arm, still in its sling, was pressed in between our bodies, making the hug slightly awkward but not less lovely. Jackson exhaled heavily in relief and hugged me back, his arms encircling me.

I relaxed my grip and let my hand roam slightly on his back, rubbing gently up and down. Jackson made a beautiful noise that sounded almost like a purr. He buried his nose in my hair and kissed the top of my head.

The hug had long since passed an appropriate 'friends' length yet he showed no signs of wanting to stop and frankly, I didn't want to let go either. However Jackson's phone started to vibrate and ring loudly. I was pressed up so close to him that I could actually feel the vibrations off his cell.

"Sorry." he mumbled, stepping out of my embrace and answering the call. "Hey Jerad, what's up?"

I shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot. As this wasn't my room, I didn't really know what to do with myself. I wasn't feeling enough at home to just throw myself on the bed, however as Jackson was having a conversation that I wasn't involved in, I felt the need to give him some form of privacy. Nervously I perched on the edge of the bottom bunk, a bed that I was planning to claim as mine. I twiddled my thumbs, trying not to listen in as I gazed in the direction of the door.

"Sorry about that." Jackson said with a smiled, flipping his cell shut. "The guys want to rehearse for a little bit. I've got to go but you will come tomorrow won't you?"

I nodded eagerly. "I'll be there."

Jackson and I hugged once again in parting. As he left he took one last glance around the room and I noticed a worried expression appear on his face. He really didn't like the idea of me staying here.

After Jackson left I settled into my new home, unpacking a few bits and bobs. I'd come to the States for an exchange year, a chance to study in a foreign university, but had come early to get myself properly settled in. I was also giving myself time to do touristy things so that I could concentrate on my classes once they started in September. Once classes did begin I'd have a room in halls, it was just for the time being that I was essentially on my own.

Later on I met my, hopefully, very temporary room-mates. There was one girl and one guy. The guy, named Bobby, seemed creepy as well as being a little spaced out and I couldn't help but suspect he was using drugs. It was hard to pin-point exactly what it was I found unnerving about him, something to do with the way he stared at me through wide, unfocused eyes. Despite the glazed look, I could tell that Bobby was taking in every little detail of me in a manner that made my skin crawl.

The girl, who I later learned was called Harmony, totally ignored me when I introduced myself. She grabbed Bobby by the hand and dragged him into the bathroom. It was pretty clear what they were doing in there. They were doing it very, very loudly.

Not wanting to stay there any longer, I left, my interest in finding an apartment suddenly coming back with a vengeance. Even with my new found determination I wasted most of the day trying in vain to find a place to stay. Eventually I gave up and headed back to the hostel. Only Bobby was in when I returned and he was staring intensely at the window frame, one finger following the pattern of the wood. Not wishing to make conversation, I changed into my PJ's and slid into the bed. Through the darkness I saw Bobby slowly turn his head towards me. I became very aware of how quiet the room was and how loud my breaths were. Bobby got up, stalked towards me and stood over my bed. I pretended to be asleep until he left the room. Shaken, I lay awake for hours before falling into an uneasy slumber.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The next day passed in much the same way as the previous with one added perk. I got a text message from a certain man who was plaguing my every thought.

_**Hey Emily its Jackson. You still coming tonight? X**_

My heart thudded loudly. He'd added a kiss! I mentally slapped myself for turning into a gooey teenager and typed out my reply.

_**Definitely. I can't wait to see you again! X**_ I paused before sending the text. Did I sound too clingy? I deleted the text and tried again. _**Of course, see you there! X **_Was that even any better? I sighed giving up on trying to formulate an intelligent reply. I hit the send button and waited.

Unfortunately I didn't receive a reply however as it was getting towards show time I assumed he would also be getting ready, something I needed to do myself.

Since it was going to be in a small bar I decided to go casual and warm, as the weather so far had been pretty bleak. I picked out a pair of black skinny jeans, my battered old biker boots, and my oversized, off-the-shoulder David Bowie top. The only problem was in finding a warm jacket that was both attractive and that could fit over my cast.

I gathered up my clothes and toiletries before heading into the communal bathroom. I didn't mind sharing with people, but this place was just grubby. I loathed to take my socks off and step into a shower with so much gunk on the floor. I began to undress and found myself smiling. I was still wearing Jackson's heavy leather jacket, having worn it while out to buy milk earlier in the afternoon. I had offered it back to him at least twice, yet somehow it was still in my possession. I'd have no choice but to take it to the show tonight, not that it was a bad thing – at least I'd be warm on the way over!

Within the next few hours I was showered, dressed and ready to go. I hopped on a bus to take me to the other side of the city and soon found myself stood outside the bar. Feeling nervous, I sucked in several deep breaths before walking through the door.

As I was early there were few people in, just the odd hardcore fan who were watching the band set up and do their sound-checks. Not wanting to disturb them, I walked to the bar and ordered myself a soft drink. Being English I had been able to legally drink for well over a year so coming to the states and being under the drinking age was somewhat of a novelty to me. I didn't mind though, I wasn't much of a drinker anyway.

I took my orange juice and headed to a small table that was set off to the side of the stage, near the dance floor. As I was on my own I'd no doubt give my table up to a group later on and find myself some little gap to squeeze into. A group would make better use of the table than I would on my own, it was only fair.

Sitting down at my table, I took a sip of my drink and waited for the show to begin or if I was lucky, for Jackson to notice me. Although he had invited me, I was unsure if he wanted to see me before the show or not. For all I knew he could have invited me simply to make up for the fact that I missed the first show.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! Also thank you to all at Project Team Beta for making this chapter coherant. **

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The sound-checks were finished about ten minutes after I had sat down at a table, so the monkey boys jumped off the stage to mingle with a few of the people who had arrived early. Before he climbed down, I saw Jackson scan the room. I'd have waved, but I wasn't sure if it was me he was looking for. For all I knew he may have invited several people other than me that he was excited to see. His eyes found mine and he smiled warmly, clambering off the high stage and jogging over to me.

"Emily, glad you could make it." He leaned over and hugged me quickly.

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world," I said without thinking. I promptly started to blush. I didn't want to sound like some obsessive fan-girl, but clearly I couldn't control it. Embarrassed, I downed the rest of my drink and looked at the graffiti on the table top. Apparently Harry likes big juicy man meat.

"What are you drinking?" Jackson asked, pointing at my now empty glass.

"Just juice or something. I don't drink really." I gave a one shouldered shrug, glad that he wasn't making a big deal of my earlier comments.

"I'll buy you another one," he offered, rising to his feet.

"Oh it's okay, you don't have to do that!" I reached out and linked the tips of my fingers with his, tugging him down. Jackson smiled softly, turning his hand so that his thumb could caress the back of mine.

"Darlin', if you want a drink, I'll buy you one."

I nodded; clearly buying me a drink was important to him somehow. "Well, okay then. But I'll get your next one."

Jackson shook his head, although at what I didn't know. I mentally reviewed my answer in the hope of identifying my social faux pas so as to apologise, but found none. When he left for the bar, I took in a few deep, calming breaths. Although I enjoyed being in Jackson's company, I couldn't yet relax around him. I wanted so badly to impress him, to get him to like me, that I was always on edge. Within a few minutes he was back at the table, a fresh glass of juice in front of me and beer for himself. As there was still an hour until the show was due to start, Jackson sat down next to me and started up a conversation.

"How's the arm?"

"I can't really feel the arm itself, my shoulder's very sore though," I admitted, rolling my aching shoulder. I looked up through my lashes at Jackson, who was looking at me with a look halfway between worry and sympathy. A pang of guilt hit me when I remembered that he was blaming himself for the accident. Whilst taking a mental note to stay away from the topic, I quickly reassured him. "It's okay though, nothing I can't handle! I'm just being whiny, really."

Jackson nodded unhappily. "So what've you been up to today?"

"Not a lot to be honest with you. Just tried to find a more permanent place to stay than the hostel, but I've not had much luck . I phoned my brother, but that's about it." Jackson began to ask questions, first about my brother and then widening out from there. Although he sounded genuinely interested in what I had to say, he was only sharing small titbits of himself. He seemed to be carefully guarding himself, perhaps in case I turned out to be the kind of person who sold stories to the press. It was understandable.

After a while, Jackson decided that it was time to introduce me to the rest of his band. My hands started to sweat as nerves threatened to overwhelm me. Although I was getting better at meeting people, it still wasn't exactly my forte. I was led to Jared first and introduced. He smiled, but before he could say anything the 'Ben's' arrived. Ben Graupner gave me a huge hug.

"So, you're the girl Jay's been going on about!" Ben G exclaimed, earning himself a punch in the shoulder from Jackson.

We spoke for a few minutes; however, the boys were in high demand from their fans, who were quickly filling up the area, so they decided to leave for their dressing room. Before he left, Jackson took hold of my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"See that wasn't so bad, was it?" I blushed, shaking my head. Clearly I was too easy to read.

I moved to stand towards the back of the room, allowing those most excited to see the band to go in front of me. Before long, the show began and it was absolutely amazing. The opening acts were fun and began to get the crowd going, however it was the 100 Monkeys who really set the audience alight. They played a long set of older favourites, brand new songs, and, of course the much anticipated improv song. This one was about wet jeans.

After two, or maybe three hours I glanced down at my watch and nearly spat my mouthful of drink back into my glass. I only had five minutes until the last bus back to the other side of the city left its stop. I grabbed my jacket and rushed to the exit. Although I desperately wanted to stay until Jackson had finished talking to the fans and say goodbye to him, I knew I wasn't going to have time. Instead, I'd have to make do with a text.

_**Sorry I had 2 leave. Lost track of time, last bus is soon. U were incredible tonight. Xx**_

I shivered, pulling my jacket tightly around my shoulders. I grinned; it wasn't my jacket. Yet again I still hadn't managed to give Jackson his jacket back. It was almost as if he didn't want it back.

Running out of the door and down the street, I was soon out of breath. Although I was slender, I'd never really done much exercise, and on the rare time I actually did, I was forced to admit just how unfit and uncoordinated I really was. Suddenly I became aware of fast footsteps behind me. Startled, I put on a burst of speed and reached the bus stop just as the bus arrived. As hands grabbed my arm I yelped in fear.

"Emily!" A familiar voice huffed. The hands spun me round so that I was face to face with Jackson. I relaxed, now knowing that I wasn't about to be attacked. "You can't go without saying goodbye."

He ran his hands up to rest on my shoulders, rubbing them softly with his thumbs. We stood like that for a moment, catching our breath. "You really were amazing tonight, Jackson."

"Thanks." He flashed me a charming smile and opened his mouth to continue to speak. However at that exact moment the bus pulled away without me. I felt my face crumple. What did I do now? I didn't have enough money for a taxi to the other side of the city, which would no doubt be ridiculously expensive. I certainly didn't have the money to stay in a nearby hotel. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"That was the last bus. I don't know how to get home."

Jackson smiled, his face reassuring. "Don't worry, I'll look after you."

Somehow, I believed that he would. I moved forward and wrapped my left arm, the one which was not stuck in a cast, around his midsection and rested my head against the crook of his neck. I took a few deep breaths, calming myself down. "What were your plans for the night, then?"

"Well I was going to help the guys take down the set, then I thought we would talk a little and hang out with the guys before I took you home. Then I was going to go home and have a big sleep. I'm pretty sure we can still do most of that." Jackson pressed a kiss into the hair on the top of my head before moving slightly away. I tried not to be too disappointed. Jackson didn't notice the change in my mood and continued to speak. "Shall we head back?"

I nodded dumbly, not trusting my voice. I was a little confused as to what was going to happen now. Jackson promised to look after me, but exactly what did that entail? Was he going to give me money for a taxi again? For a motel? Was he planning on giving me his hotel room and sharing with one of the other monkey boys? I nibbled on my bottom lip as I thought. Jackson stopped walking. I did the same and we turned to face each other.

If I hadn't been so in the moment myself, I would have laughed at the expression on Jackson's face. His eyes were heavily lidded, his breath coming out in short pants as if he was being overcome by lust. However, he also looked unsure, as if trying to decide if he wanted to kiss me. Jackson cupped my cheek, tilting my head towards him. One of my own hands chose to fist his shirt, the other sliding up into his hair. We leant together, our heads inching towards each other.

Jackson's phone rang.

I jumped backwards, blushing furiously and looking anywhere but Jackson. He answered the call with a curt "hello", listened for a moment, then told the caller that he would be there soon. With the moment broken, I was feeling embarrassed, as I seemingly always did in his presence. I liked Jackson, but I hardly knew him. It was too soon for a first kiss.

"Come on Sweets, I need to go take down the set." Still not looking up, I obediently followed him down the street, back towards the venue. Jackson remained a safe distance away from me, making me wonder if he was already regretting the almost kiss.

"So, er, where are we off too after this? Back to your hotel?" I asked, partly as I wanted to get the conversation going again, but mostly because I really wanted to know.

"Nope." Jackson said, popping his 'p' "We were only there last night out of convenience. We actually live near here. The other venue was just a bit much to travel back from that late."

I nodded. Jackson sounded calm and two steps away from him, I stood feeling like a jittery schoolgirl. We had almost kissed! I racked my brains for something else to talk about. I knew a little about Jackson, mostly from what I'd heard from interviews, but nothing that I could really engage with, so I went for a safe topic. "You have sisters, don't you?"

Jackson smiled; family was obviously a good talking point with him. "Yeah, three sisters!"

He began to talk animatedly about them, telling me how old they were and what they were up to. He was so proud of everything they had done. In no time at all we were back at the show venue. Jackson rejected my offer to help him pack up with the stuff, and jogged over to help the others. To entertain myself, I pulled my iPod out of my pocket and played solitaire until the boys returned. I lost badly, not seeing obvious moves until it was too late. My mind was back in the street, playing the almost kiss over and over.

The next twenty minutes were busy for the monkey boys as they packed away their instruments and assorted equipment that I didn't know the names of, loaded them into their trailer and thanked the owner of the venue. Eventually they made their way back over to wear I was sitting, tucked into a corner of the near-deserted bar.

"Right this way m'lady!" Ben G said in a very poor English accent, offering me his arm.

"Why thank you kind sir," I said with a giggle as I slipped my hand onto his elbow. We walked to their van with Ben G acting up as some strange kind of 17th century English gentleman, or whatever it was he was trying to do. I got into the car first, with Jackson following me in to sit on my left, Ben G on the right. Ben J, Jerad, Marty, and Uncle Larry also got in and we sped off to the monkey house. The boys chatted about the show mostly and, although I joined in the conversation where I could, I found myself to be quiet for the most part.

After a ten minute drive we arrived at an average sized detached house in a nice neighbourhood. Jackson, the Ben's and myself got out of the van. I could only assume that the other men lived elsewhere and were off to their respective homes. Leading the way, Jackson and I walked down the unkempt path to the front door.

"Anyone got a key handy?" he asked over his shoulder. Ben J got one out of his pocket and came forward to open the door.

Suddenly Ben G bounded past me, waited for a fraction of a second until Ben J had unlocked the door, pushed him out of the way and rushed off into the house. Ben J rolled his eyes with a smile and followed his friend inside. Clearly this behaviour was both normal and expected.

"After you." Jackson used one hand to gesture to the doorway, his other hand resting on the small of my back. He gently guided me into the hallway, where I stood feeling awkward as Jackson shut and locked the front door using the keys that Ben J had left dangling in the lock. I began to take off my jacket and was surprised when Jackson assisted me, sliding the heavy material down my arms, his breath on my neck. As they didn't have anything that even remotely resembled a coat rack, Jackson threw our jackets onto a small table which housed the phone. "Would you like a drink?"

As he waited for my reply, Jackson put his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. I wasn't particularly thirsty, but the atmosphere in the room had changed and I was desperate to reduce some of the strain between us.

"Yes please." As I was led into the kitchen I racked my brains for something to talk about. "Doesn't Jared live here?"

Jackson shook his head, his dark locks falling in his eyes for a brief moment before he pushed them away. "He lives with his wife. They've got a house about a ten minute walk from here."

I blushed, feeling stupid. I knew that Jared was married and yet I somehow hadn't made the connection that he wouldn't live in the monkey house. "Yes, of course."

Jackson busied himself by pouring out our drinks, tension heavy in the room. Why was this suddenly so uncomfortable? We'd been able to talk easily before, we even spent a large amount of time cuddling. What was different now? I wondered if he was regretting having me in his house.

"Um, would you like me to go?" I mumbled. Jackson's head snapped up, confusion and shock written across his face. I quickly elaborated. "You don't seem comfortable with me here so I thought I should offer...just because I missed the bus doesn't mean you need to let me stay with you. I'm sure I can find my way back."

I didn't bring my eyes up to meet his, flustered. I realized I was making a mountain out of a mole hill. It was almost always slightly awkward when a new person entered your home for the very first time, I remembered that feeling well from slumber parties at school, and here I was making a huge fuss over Jackson feeling that way. I felt my cheeks heat up. Maybe I should go, save myself the embarrassment. I was backing towards the door, intending to let myself out, however as I turned I felt hands on my waist.

"I'm not letting you walk across a city you don't know in the middle of the night two days after I broke your arm." Jackson's nose bumped into the shell of my ear, although I couldn't tell if it was intentional or not.

"Sorry," I apologized to the door in front of me. What on earth was wrong with me today? There was no doubt in my mind that I was pushing him away with my odd behaviour caused by my stupid insecurities. I decided that maturity and honesty were the best policies. "I just want you to like me, for this to go well. I want it to work so much that I'm over thinking everything. I'm so scared of screwing up that I'm...doing it more?"

My words didn't make sense to my own ears. God knows what Jackson thought I was going on about. I was surprised when Jackson spun me around and kissed my forehead. "I want this to go well too. Calm down, it's just me. I like having you around."

His simple words made my insides melt and all I could do was smile up at him.

"Come on it's getting late, let's go to bed. You take my room and I'll have the couch."

"Oh no! I can't do that! I'm not taking your room off you! I'll sleep down here, you have your bed. Besides the first night back in your own bed is always special. I can't take that away from you." I grinned at Jackson, trying to make a joke of it, whilst trying to get him to see that I honestly didn't expect him to give up his room for me.

"Emily," Jackson began, smiling softly, "just take the damn room."

His tone was caring but firm. I blushed and nodded. With our drinks now forgotten in the kitchen, Jackson showed me up stairs, pointing out the bathroom on the way. I looked around curiously as I reached his bedroom; it was messy, but not dirty. As a typical boy's room, clothes had been dumped on the floor and there was a stack of empty plates and glasses on the cupboard in the far corner.

"Erm, I'd have tidied up a little if I had known you were coming..." Jackson was rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, a nervous look about him. Perhaps he was worried about having a known fangirl in his room in case I decided steal his dirty laundry and put it on Ebay, or something equally bizarre.

"It's fine, Jackson, don't worry about it." I paused for a moment, thinking. "Can I borrow something to sleep in? I don't really have anything with me..."

"Oh!" Jackson looked startled. Clearly the thought that I would need anything other than his bed hadn't occurred to him. He rummaged around in a drawer and dug out a plain white t-shirt. "Will this do? Do you want...something else?"

"Could I have a pair of boxers or something? Just for the morning, in case I run into anyone before I get dressed." I felt like some weird stalker, begging a celebrity for his underwear. Jackson however had found me some soft black cotton boxer-shorts for me to wear. "Thank you."

I bit my lip, wondering how to say goodnight. I wanted to kiss his cheek but I wasn't sure if he would want me too. I was jolted out of my daze as a finger touched my lip, applying the gentlest of pressure to try and free it from my teeth. I released my bottom lip, opening my mouth slightly. I stood frozen as Jackson ran a finger across my lip. I wanted to lick the finger or to suck it sexily into my mouth like they sometimes did in movies, but I didn't dare.

Jackson removed his hand, a light blush on his cheeks. "If you need anything, give me a shout."

He hurried out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I mulled over the peculiar events of the last few days I'd had. A gorgeous and kind man had seemingly taken an interest in my usually dull company. He'd even offered to let me stay the night when I was stranded! Life truly was unpredictable.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for all of your views and reviews, I'm sorry it has taken so long for me to update. I have been on a study abroad semester to the USA and only got back a few days ago. Hopefully I'll be able to write a few chapters over the Christmas break before I start back at university and work. Thanks again for your support and patience. Also a big thank you to those at Project Team Beta who made this fic readable.**

* * *

Part Four

Rolling over, I blinked bleary eyed at the clock. 4:19am. At first I couldn't understand what had woken me up, but then a sound from downstairs attracted my attention; It seemed to be coming from the TV. Although I loathed to leave the comfort of my nice warm bed, I felt the need to go and turn the TV off. I slipped out from under the covers and padded downstairs, clad only in the plain white t-shirt and black boxers that Jackson had loaned me. I reached the living room door, wincing as it creaked noisily on opening. Poking my head around the door, I caught a glimpse of a rather dishevelled looking Jackson. He looked up as I entered the room fully.

"Hey darlin', what are you doing up?" he drawled, his accent even more pronounced than usual in his sleep deprived state. I tried to formulate a verbal response however all I could think about was his torso. His naked torso. All Jackson was wearing was a pair of dark lounge pants which hung low on his hips, as he sprawled out over the couch. The closest thing my brain could give to an answer to his question was a one shouldered shrug. However Jackson didn't seem to need a reply and continued speaking "I couldn't sleep either. You wanna sit up with me for a bit?"

He pulled himself into a sitting position and patted the space next to him. I nervously perched myself beside him, our legs brushing up against each other. Jackson put his hand on my shoulder and gently pulled me back, urging me to recline into the couch as he did. "Relax, it's just me."

Jackson echoed his words from earlier, making me smile. I let my head loll against the couch and turned it slightly to look at the sleepy looking man beside me.

"You're tired," I whispered, speaking for the first time since I had entered the room. He nodded as a reply, his eyes shutting briefly before a noise from the TV jolted him back into full consciousness. "I think you're telling fibs. You can sleep."

"Maybe I can, maybe I can't. Maybe I fell asleep with the TV on and woke up when you came downstairs." He grinned sheepishly, showing that the latter scenario was exactly what had happened. I felt a pang of guilt when I realized that I was interrupting his slumber.

"I'm sorry I woke you...I didn't mean to...I'll leave you to sleep," I stuttered as I hurried to get up. Jackson's arms shot out, wrapping around my waist. He pulled me back down so that I was briefly sat in his lap, and plonked me back in my seat.

"No, stay. I'm awake now, honest." I didn't believe him for a second, his voice was too slow as he fought to stay awake. He put an arm around my shoulders, pressing me into his side as we half lay, half sat across the couch.

"You won't be awake for much longer," I smiled, but Jackson didn't see it, as his eyes had already closed. The TV remote was next to me so I picked it up and finally switched off the damn box. I listened to Jackson's breaths as he fell asleep.

In, out.

In...out.

In...out.

I matched my breaths to his.

In...out.

In...out.

…...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hot. It was far too hot. I opened my right eye and looked around. The room had suddenly gotten light. How had that happened? Had I been asleep? The couch underneath me took a deep breath and shifted a little bit. That was an odd thing for a couch to do.

"Morning." A deep voice, thick with sleep, greeted me. I looked in a sort of side-ways-up direction, twisting my neck to find the source of the sound. Jackson was smiling down at me. He was lying in a rather awkward position with his head, neck and upper body scrunched into the corner where the back of the couch met one of the arms. The rest of his body lay at an angle across the couch, his feet planted on the floor. To my surprise I was lying on top of him.

"Guess we both could sleep after all," I joked, feeling as if I should move, whilst every part of me screamed not to. I lay still for a moment, enjoying the feel of his body beneath mine.

"Mm," Jackson mumbled, still half asleep. Reluctantly I pushed myself off his chest, swung my legs over his to the ground and stood up. Seeing that Jackson had his eyes shut I took the opportunity to have a nice big stretch. I reached out as if I were about to start doing jumping jacks, yawned, and relaxed my muscles with a satisfied sigh. The after-stretch feeling was such an under-rated sensation.

"Feel better?" Jackson asked, his eyes half open and a smile on his face. I blushed but managed to grin back at him. "Nice hair, by the way."

Without my consent, my hand shot to my head, trying to in vain to smooth down some of the miss-behaving locks. Although mortified, I tried my best to tease him back "Well, yours isn't much better!"

"And I bet I look just as cute as you do." Jackson winked at me as he rose to his feet. I found myself momentarily lost for words at his offhand compliment. Did he mean it?

Jackson smirked. Damn, that man knew exactly how charming he was. He was definitely turning on the charm to win himself at our playful tiff.

"Yeah, yeah." I laughed, shaking my head. "Any chance I can have a shower?"

"Of course." Jackson led me upstairs to the bathroom where he provided me with a fresh towel and a plastic bag to wrap my cast in. As he showed me how to work the shower, I couldn't help but smile at his thoughtfulness. I washed my hair using shampoo from one of those tiny bottles that had clearly been 'borrowed' from a hotel. As I stepped onto the bathmat I realized that I didn't have any clothes with me, aside from the makeshift pyjamas that I'd just taken off. Rather than put my PJ's on, take them off again and then get dressed, I decided to risk running across the hall in just a towel.

I opened the door and found out just how big of a mistake I'd made. Directly in front of me stood Jackson and Ben G. Their conversation ceased as they caught sight of me. They both gaped openly until Jackson managed to recover, elbowing Ben roughly in his side as he came to his senses.

"Um...sorry...I...umm...forgot my clothes." I stumbled over my words, blushing beetroot red as the guys stared at the floor, ceiling, walls, anywhere but my towel clad body. "Um, can I get past you?"

"Uhumn." Jackson made a strangled sound, opened the door closest to him, shoved Ben inside and got in along with him. As I walked past the door I could hear the muffled sounds of them talking.

"Jay, why are we in a closet?"

"I don't know! I was trying not to ogle and I panicked." Jackson admitted, making me giggle under my breath as I scurried into his bedroom. After shutting the door behind me, I pressed my ear against it, straining to hear the rest of their conversation.

"...Did you just say ogle?" Ben asked, amused. His words were followed by an almighty crash as they fell out of the closet. I couldn't stop myself from laughing as I imagined what they must look like.

Looking at yesterday's clothes, which were piled neatly on top of the dresser draws, made me realize yet another problem. No clean clothes. It was a good job I didn't know anyone here bar Jackson or they may have believed I was doing the walk of shame. Technically it wasn't one, but if anyone saw me they would no doubt assume it was. I suddenly realised that no clean clothes meant no clean underwear. I sighed, shoved my dirty underwear into the pocket of my/Jackson's jacket and got dressed. No one needed to know that I was going commando, however I now needed an excuse to rush back to the youth hostel. Jeans and no underwear wasn't exactly comfortable. I left the room to find Jackson waiting anxiously in the hall, still shirtless, dressed exactly as he was when we had been cuddling on the couch.

"Hey, sorry about before, I wasn't expecting you to...well...yeah, so, er...help yourself to anything in the kitchen while I take a shower." Although initially nervous, he recovered quickly and flashed me a breathtaking smile.

"Okay meet you down there." I couldn't help but smile back. As suggested I went to the kitchen to make breakfast, not just for myself but for the whole house to thank them for their hospitality. Figuring that I couldn't go wrong with a full English breakfast, I started scouring the refrigerator for bacon. Within a couple of minutes it was cooking and the smell had attracted the 'Bens'.

"How much of that are you making?" Ben J asked, his question laced with a rather unsubtle hint.

"More than enough for all of us." We chatted idly amongst ourselves for a bit, mostly about the show and other places they hoped to perform at. As if on cue, Jackson arrived on the scene at the exact same time that I finished serving up the food. He practically beamed at the sight of his breakfast and kissed the top of my head in gratitude. The second he released me, he dived for his plate, defending it as if he were fully expecting someone to snatch it from him.

"Bacon. How...good is bacon?" Ben G asked with a slight pause as he swallowed his mouthful. Although his question was clearly rhetorical, the other guys hummed in agreement, their mouths too full to form words. I pulled up a chair alongside them and tucked into my sandwich.

"What is THAT?" Jackson asked, eyeing the delicacy in my hands, his fork frozen halfway to his mouth.

"This, my friend, is an eggy bread and bacon sandwich. The most superior of all sandwiches ever created!" I dramatized every word before taking a bite.

"Eggy bread? That sounds...eggy." Jackson furrowed his eyebrows and put down his fork as he continued to stare at my sandwich. It was almost as if he were trying to decide if the idea of it offended him or not.

"I'd let you have some but it's just too good to share." I waved my sandwich under his nose, taunting him with it. To my surprise his head shot forward and he took a huge bite. I blinked. "You ate my sandwich!"

"Yeah and it was so worth it!" Jackson winked at me, a challenge in the air.

"Oh really? Worth the knowledge that you've labelled yourself a thief? That you've broken my trust? That you'll forever be marked out as a bad apple?" I snickered as I overacted, using my words to distract him from my real task. As I'd been speaking I had discretely angled my fork underneath my baked beans. In one swift movement I brought my first down, slamming it onto the fork handle with a dull thud. The food was aimed brilliantly, it landed slap bang in the middle of Jackson's forehead and began to slide down his face. He stared at me in shock, before bursting out into unguarded laughter. With a sly grin, I passed him a hand towel that had been hung on the back of my chair.

"Where did you learn to do that?" he chuckled, wiping his face as his friends doubled over with laughter.

"My first boyfriend. Terrible kisser, but he taught me a lot about projectiles. He was the thorn in the side of lunch ladies everywhere." I smiled as high school memories popped into my mind. Jackson finished cleaning himself up and practically inhaled the rest of his meal.

Having finished eating myself, I automatically stood up and grabbed my plate to clear it away.

"Here, I'll do that," Ben J said, taking the plate from my hands. Once again I found myself with a smile glued to my features. These guys really were so sweet to me.

"Thanks. And thanks for letting me stay here, all of you." I tried to convey my gratitude. "I'm gonna head back to the hostel for some clean clothes."

"Hostel? Are you dying?" Ben G asked quietly, a concerned look across his features.

"Hostel not hospice, you berk!" I laughed, shaking my head. I looked around the room, clocking the three confused faces that were looking back at me.

"What's a berk?" Jackson asked. Ah so that was what was wrong, English slang wasn't translating.

"Ben is a berk. It's an insult. Not sure what it's equivalent to though. Stupid? Ass? Stupid-ass? It's not really meant to be that cruel though..." I trailed off and shrugged. "But anyway I really should get going, thanks again for having me."

I stood up to see myself out and on impulse, leaned over and kissed Jackson's forehead. Afterwards I didn't dare look at him, in case he hadn't appreciated being kissed like that in front of his friends. However if he was irritated by me, he didn't call me on it.

"I'll text you later?" My voice sounded weak and nervous, even to my own ears. I was so unsure of whether or not he wanted to continue seeing me, despite all of his reassurances, that my words came out as a question.

Jackson stood up. "I'll drive you home."

"Oh no, it's okay. I don't expect you to do that. Just point me in the direction of the nearest bus stop and I'll be fine." Naturally I was completely ignored as Jackson bundled me out of the house without even giving me time to say goodbye to the others.

"Get in the car woman!" He commanded, trying to sound serious. For a change I did as I was told and slid into the front passenger seat without further argument. Jackson got in and started the car. "Let's get you back to your hell hole then."


	5. Chapter 5

Part Five

The ride back to the hostel was filled with small talk about how we were planning to spend our week. The monkey boys were having a short break from touring and were mostly spending their days jamming in their front room and making fun of each other. I had planned on asking Jackson if he wanted to go sightseeing with me but I didn't want to interrupt his downtime so I kept my mouth shut. Besides, he lived here; surely he'd seen all of the main attractions a thousand times before.

As we pulled up outside of the hostel I turned to Jackson to say my goodbyes however he had already gotten out of the car. I blinked, confused. Suddenly my door opened and a hand appeared to help me out. I slipped my hand into his and got out only to find myself stood in Jackson's person space. We looked at each other for a moment before he stepped back, allowing me a little breathing room. As I moved away from the vehicle Jackson shut the door behind me.

"What?" Jackson asked, responding to the amused look on my face.

"I didn't realise people actually did that. The whole opening car doors and helping a gal out." I chuckled.

"Well that just good manners." Jackson said seriously. I stopped laughing. It may be good manners to him but it was the first time I'd seen it and I very much doubted that it would become a regular occurrence for someone like me.

We walked hand in hand from the car up to my shared room, however only Harmony, a girl I had spoken little to, was there. She glanced up at Jackson and I as we lingered in the doorway but she didn't acknowledge us any further. I tugged on Jackson's hand, pulling him back out into the hallway to give us a little privacy. Standing in front of him, out of view of the doorway, I ran my hands up and down his muscled arms.

"Would you like to come over tonight and watch movies?" Jackson blurted out before back-tracking "I know we just left mine and we've seen each other every day since we met and you're here to do other things but..."

"I'd love to." I interrupted, smiling shyly at him. Our eyes locked, stupid grins across each of our faces as we took each other in. He really was a gorgeous specimen of a man.

Desperate for our first kiss, I tilted my head upwards, my nose bumping awkwardly against his chin. I giggled, blushing at my blunder. Jackson dipped his head and knocked his nose against mine, bumping me right back with a soft breathy chuckle. Our grins slid from our faces as we moved closer together.

"Oi oi! What've we got here then?" Bobby shouted loudly rubbing his hands together. I jerked away from Jackson, blushing. Seriously? Could we be interrupted anymore?

At the sound of her boyfriend Bobby's voice, Harmony darted out into the hallway. "Bobby I've still got some things to do. Go out for a little while longer, I'll call you when you can come back."

Bobby huffed in annoyance and stomped back out of the hallway and in the same moment, Harmony returned to the room, this time choosing sit close to the doorway. This allowed her to see Jackson and myself. So far I wasn't particularly liking my new room-mates a whole lot, although I hadn't exactly given them a fair chance. I could only hope we weren't stuck together for long.

"Um, I'll see you tonight then?" I asked Jackson, who sighed and nodded.

"I'll pick you up around seven." He embraced me tightly and kissed the top of my head. We bobbed around awkwardly for a moment before smiling sheepishly and going our separate ways. I watched as he walked away, counting his footsteps down the hallway. Smiling at my obsession, I shook my head and walked back into my room where I was soon accosted by Harmony.

"How do you know Jackson?" she asked in harsh, accusing tone. It was clear that she knew who he was from his movies or perhaps even his band so I was nervous about divulging any information. Harmony waited impatiently, unhappy that I clearly knew him on a personal level.

"We're friends." I said bluntly, not yet willing to trust her.

"Just friends?" Harmony raised one eyebrow, challenging me to lie to her.

"Yes. Just friends." I tried to keep my tone firm. Harmony seemed a little shaken and decided to switch tactics.

"Well, obviously. It couldn't have ever been more than that." She smiled crookedly. I tried not to feel hurt but couldn't. Although I didn't like what she was implying I had to know more, if only to confirm my suspicions that Harmony was jealous of me.

"What do you mean?" I questioned, moving to sit opposite her on her bunk, all challenge now absent from my tone. Harmony appraised me, a cold calculating stare, before her expression shifted. She smiled, now in a manner that befitted a child smug over getting their way.

"You're just not enough, you know. I mean look at him, he's smoking hot, famous, he's a twilight star!" Harmony nodded as I opened my mouth, encouraging me silently to highlight Jackson's positive attributes.

"He's so kind. Such a gentleman but still a guy. And he plays guitar!" I paused, chewing on my lip. Harmony chose to fill in the gap.

"Now look at you, you're not rich, not pretty, not famous. You're short. You wear glasses. You don't know the first thing about fashion. You don't even fake tan! Did you crawl out of your hovel for the first time this morning? You even talk funny. You have the weirdest accent."

"It's English." I muttered, my ego weakly tried to defend itself from further bashing.

"You don't sound like Rpattz." Harmony was thriving on my wavering confidence.

"He's from the south. I'm a northerner...Look I...I realise he's too good for me but I'm still going to try. I really, really like him. I'm going to try, I just don't know what to do."

"You've just got to make yourself into his perfect girl." Harmony said wisely, with a slightly patronizing pat to the shoulder. "Let him make all the decisions, men want to be dominant. Even if it's something small, like what to eat for dinner. Make sure he knows, his opinion is what counts. Oh and don't complain to him about anything, just grin and bear it. Guys don't want to listen to someone that whines all the time."

As much as I didn't want them to be, Harmony's words were logical. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

I moved off Harmony's bed to my own and made a quick phone call to my mother, giving her a brief update of what I'd been up to. I glossed over meeting Jackson, knowing that at the first mention of any companionship my mother would overly encourage it. She often worried that I was unhappy being on my own as she knew I didn't have many friends, let alone boyfriends.

After assuring her that I was fine, eating right and getting a good seven hours sleep a night, I said goodbye to her and hung up the phone. At some point during my phone call Harmony had left the room, leaving me alone to mull over her "advice". The girl was a bitch, no doubt about it, she was probably just jealous. However there was something small, niggling at the back of my mind. Was she right? After all, there was no smoke without fire. Yes, I am short and I do wear glasses. In fact, Harmony had made some very accurate observations about me. But would Jackson care? Would he be turned off by me as he got to know me better?

Sighing despondently I rummaged through my bag to find my travellers guide to the USA, flipped to my pre-marked pages and began to draw up a list of activities I wished to do. Not particularly fancying any of them, I decided on a long walk.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The bar clad windows of the youth hostel somehow made the rain outside seem creepy, as if I were trapped inside an abandoned insane asylum or something. It didn't help that it was so cold. Whilst I was out, the heating had stopped working, or so I was informed by Bobby as he smoked whilst lounging on his bed. Did he have to do that in the bedroom? I had nothing against smokers, but I wasn't really fond of the habit, especially when it was near where I slept.

Not wanting to stay in the hostel any longer, I ventured outside and took an over-priced tour of the city. Sadly throughout the tour the heavens remained open and it rained so heavily that I could see little through the windows of the tour bus. Once the tour was over, I scurried underneath a nearby tree to make a new plan. Having sat underneath the tree for close to an hour, I gave up waiting for the rain to stop and decided to try and walk back to the hostel.

Dripping wet and freezing cold, I set off in the direction that should have led me home. As I'd left my iPhone at the hostel to charge, I was left following some hand written directions I had copied down, just in case. They were useless. I wandered aimlessly for a while, hoping to recognise something, anything. And eventually, I did.

Somehow I had found myself back in Jackson's neighbourhood. I walked for a little while longer, an unsettling numbness settling in my extremities, until I stumbled upon his street. Nervously I walked up to his front door. We had planned to meet this evening, Jackson was due to pick me up from the hostel in just a few hours time, but I still felt incredibly rude for dropping in unexpectedly. I didn't want to be a burden but I wasn't sure what else to do, I was lost, phone-less and broke. Tears were falling from my eyes, although it was hard to tell with the rain. Knocking twice on the door, I stepped back and waited.

Thankfully people were in, and it was Jackson who answered the door.

"Emily! You're soaking! Quick, come in." He hurried me inside and helped me out of my jacket, which of course was Jackson's. It hadn't helped to protect me against the rain in the slightest as my clothes were dripping wet. I made a mental note to check my cast for damage as soon as I could. "I'll get you a towel."

Shivering, I watched as Jackson sprinted upstairs. He returned within seconds, an enormous fluffy blue towel in his hands and wrapped it around me. His hands rubbed up and down my arms, warming and drying me with the towel.

"Th-thanks." I stuttered, still shaking. I moved slightly forward, wanting to curl into Jackson's warmth, but quickly moved back. I didn't want to make him cold and wet too. Jackson pulled me back in, pressing me against him as I shook.

"Your lips are going blue." Jackson brought me into the living room, where the Bens' were sat watching what looked like an 80s movie.

"Woah!" Ben G said at the sight of me before moving to light up the fire. Ben J left the room looking concerned and a few seconds later I could hear him banging around in the kitchen. Jackson steered me to sit in the chair closest to the fireplace.

"We'll be right back, Sweets." Jackson said, grabbing Ben G by the bicep and dragging him out of the room. Suddenly feeling tired as well as cold, I let my head drop down onto the arm of the chair and allowed my eyes to shut.


End file.
